The first person to notice public interest in what the First Lady was wearing was Dolley Madison, wife of the fourth U.S. President, James Madison. He demonstrated an intuitive ability to increase (or decrease) his appearance depending on the situation and mood of the nation in the 1810s.
Fast forward nearly 200 years, and our fascination with what political spouses wear and what it tells us about them is perhaps stronger than ever.
This week, Lady Starmer’s donor-funded wardrobe continues in the UK, where Lady Starmer and Dr. This feels especially true at a time when Jill Biden and Brigitte are front row at fashion week. Macron is in Paris.
How each nation wants its First Lady or First Gentleman to dress seems to vary greatly. Here in the UK, the focus is often on supporting the British high street – Shame on anyone who could still be accused of looking pretentious (Cherie Blair) or admitting to having her cheap, “relatable” clothes made (Samantha Cameron). Across the channel, fashion is an integral part of France’s national identity, and so First Ladies are expected to support this by sitting in the front row at the most important shows and wearing head-to-toe designer or haute couture.
Here’s a look at the approaches taken around the world when dressing for The Part.
England – Victoria Starmer
The recent revelation that items in Lady Starmer’s fabulous wardrobe came from undisclosed political donations has soured her fashion appeal for some. But whether paid for by Starmer herself, by donors, or borrowed from brands just for the occasion, Lady Starmer has undoubtedly used her clothes to send a message in the few months since her husband became Prime Minister.
He hit the ground running when it came to flying the flag of the British high street – Her latest hits for Me+Em include the £295 white tartan coat and the £275 tomato red dress she wore to her arrival at Downing Street; This dress is said to have caused a 300 percent increase in website traffic.
He also defended lower English names – She wore a £36 mocha T-shirt and £100 wide-leg navy trousers from local slow fashion brand By Elleven to the Labor Conference in Liverpool.
Meanwhile, this month, Edeline Lee’s appearance at the London Fashion Week show wearing a blue-and-white polka dot blouse and trousers borrowed from the designer is an indication of her interest in promoting the industry. She complemented this with the designer’s £1,150 Labor red dress for this week’s Party Conference. – The brand quickly confirmed that she had borrowed it just for the occasion.
France – Brigitte Macron
In France, it seems to be the first lady’s unofficial role to support her country’s world-leading fashion houses by both attending their fashion shows and wearing their products head to toe. It’s been this way since the 1960s and the era of Claude Pompidou, a Chanel regular and close friend of Karl Lagerfeld.
Today, Brigitte Macron, 71, clearly takes her role very seriously and is particularly known for endorsing Louis Vuitton by Nicolas Ghesquière. Although her signature look (cropped skirts, skinny jeans and power blazers) was already very evident before her husband took over, it was her stylist Mathieu Barthelat Colin who refined it.
During the last Paris fashion week, she was at the forefront not only at Louis Vuitton, but also at Balmain and Dior, and even made a guest appearance in the latest episode of the fashion favorite magazine. Emily in Paris She carries her favorite Lady Dior bag, worth £3,800. French Vogue was amazed – On social media, they captioned a photo of Macron carrying the bag, which they renamed “First Lady Dior.”
WE – Jill Biden
While Melania Trump is known for her taste in designer skirt suits and Michelle Obama is known for supporting up-and-coming American designers, Dr. Jill Biden hasn’t established such a strong sartorial identity during her husband’s time in office.
But one brand he consistently wears is Ralph Lauren, the godfather of American fashion, whose runway show he attended in New York last month. Joining A-list stars and posing for selfies, Dr Biden wore a boxy black suit complemented by a diamond brooch by the designer. She often turned to Ralph to create bespoke looks for her on special occasions; especially King III. The cornflower blue skirt suit that Charles wore to his coronation and the baby blue sequined dress he wore to the last Democratic National Convention.
Japan – Yuko Kishida
As Japan’s First Lady since 2021, Yuko Kishida’s opportunities to showcase her sartorial prowess internationally have been limited – But when he did, his clothes were nothing short of stylish.
An example of this was last year when she wore a custom-made green sari to the G20 summit in India, which she complemented with silver jewelery and a traditional bindi. Trump, who is clearly well-versed in the art of diplomatic attire, showed similar ingenuity when he visited the United States in April, wearing a traditional Japanese kimono to plant a cherry blossom tree on the White House grounds. past history.
She’s clearly going for some mega-watt glamour, wearing a sculptural purple gown that perfectly complemented Jill Biden’s sequined Oscar de la Renta dress in a similar hue for the White House reception gala she attended with her husband. Her favorite everyday bag is specifically British brand Mulberry’s Bayswater, £1,095.
Denmark – Bo Tengberg
The First Gentleman of Denmark, film director Bo Tengberg is known for cutting a flamboyant figure. When it comes to dressing for official occasions, he usually lets his wife, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, take the lead, often mirroring her style in her own way. What makes him stand out is his subtle Scandi style tricks – a pop-collar here, a button-down single-breasted suit jacket there – as well as his devotion to pocket squares and brooches.
Iceland – Bjorn Skulason
Iceland’s Bjorn Skulason looks similarly dapper in a suit. The wellness entrepreneur (he has his own marine collagen brand) often opts for blue (teal) suits that reflect the spirit of the 70s; Think slim-fit jackets and slim-fit trousers. He has modeled himself as an Instagram influencer of sorts; posts behind-the-scenes photos of the first family making Kleinur (Icelandic buns) at home with Scandi braids or wearing matching mirrored sunglasses at the Blue Lagoon.
Ukrainian – Olena Zelenska
Ukrainian Olena Zelenska’s relationship with fashion is complicated. While her appearance as Vogue’s digital cover star in 2022 has sparked much debate on social media, the fact that her team includes a stylist, Natalia Kamenska, has raised eyebrows at a time when her countrymen may feel they have more pressing matters. worry
But no one has done more to showcase the talent of Ukraine’s burgeoning fashion industry than Zelenska; Zelenska launched this mission long before Putin’s tanks crossed the border.
Using fashion to communicate protest, she wears not only local designers like The Coat, Gunia and AMG, but also specific pieces that reference Ukraine’s distinct history from Russia. Examples include the vyshyvanka, a type of traditional embroidered shirt symbolizing Ukraine, which he wore on National Vyshyvanka Day in 2022.
He also often wears blue and yellow, Ukraine’s national colors – It’s a trick that any political spouse on any budget knows can provide a winning sartorial formula in the public eye.